Kishin Asura, Meet Grace
by Ann Esthaesia
Summary: Asura is still alive, so Death turnes to his last resort: Grace and Rave. But when power is swapped, secrets are uncovered, and everyone's lives are at stake, who's side will Grace find herself on? A little bit of OCxAsura later on. Enjoy!
1. A Kishin To Be?

**Author's note: **

**I don't own Soul EAter, but I do own Rave and Grace.**

**I have also noticed people trying to copy my work.**

**COPY = STEAl.**

**I don't like it, and you know who you are.**

**Thank you. o0o**

Chapter One- A Kishin-To-Be?

I pulled my ebony scarf up over my face, trying to hide from their stares, their burning gazes. I didn't like being looked at, much less stared at by numerous people in a room with no real exits.

I don't exactly know why Shinigami-sama had called me to the United States branch of the DWMA; I was just told it was on the matter of the Kishin Asura. Which was odd, because I was told the Kishin was defeated almost a month ago.

Yet, here I was, in the Death Room being stared at by people I didn't even know. Not that it would matter if they knew me; I don't like attention in any form.

A strange, puffy cloud swirled past my feet. _I should just leave_, I thought, averting my eyes from the small group of students and Death Scythes, _they wouldn't care_. They had better things to deal with than me, like that ancient witch that has supposedly revived somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains. And I had nothing to do with the Kishin; a mission on that level would be too much for me and my Weapon partner, Rave.

I looked up as Death walked into the Room, his over-sized hands clasped behind his back. "Hiya, hey, hi," Shinigami issued his cheery greeting, "Nice to see you, Maka, Soul, Kiddo, Black*Star." Death nodded at each as he said their names. "Spirit, Ms. Marie! How nice for you guys to join us for this _very _important discussion."

I made a face. _Jeez, I don't remember Death's voice being this annoying last time I saw him…_

As if Shinigami-sama could read my mind, he now fixed his attention on me and I could swear his mask became a bit more grim than usual.

"Grace, do you know why I have brought you here today?" He now spoke with a much more serious tone than he was using a second ago.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. _Don't show fear_, I thought, _fear is for the weak. _

So I tilted my chin up a little, dragged my gaze from my sneakers to Death's eyes, and stood a slight bit taller.

Shinigami's reaction to my actions was strange; he sighed as if I had just proven some grave conviction of his to be right. I ignored it the best I could, and continued.

"No, Shinigami-sama. You have yet to tell my why I am here." Internally, I winced. My voice sounded so timid and uncertain, so weak and afraid.

"Okay," Death tilted his head at an odd angle, "I'll have to explain, then." He continued, "We have exhausted every resource we could find, trying to find a way to stop the Kishin. Even my power was not enough to bring down the demon god." Shinigami gestured to the group of kids, "But my best students were able to do some damage, but to what extent, I am not-"

A shout of rage interrupted Death, "No!" the skinny girl with ash-blonde ponytails was yelling furiously now, "I killed him! He exploded and the souls of his victims were set free! He can't still be alive!" Her fists were clenched and her whole body was shaking, partially out of anger, and partially out of fear.

Even thinking of that word sent a cold shiver through me. F-e-a-r. That word. It dominated my life, so I sealed myself away from all the scary things with layers of clothes and plenty of solitude. I didn't need other people, didn't need any other friends except for Rave. My parents sure didn't need me, so I didn't need anyone else either.

By the time I zoned back into the conversation, the pony-tail-girl; Maka, that was her name; was shocked and so pale as to make one think she had no blood in her at all.

"You watched an _illusion_ of Asura dying," the black-cloaked reaper corrected.

"But…" her arms fell limply at her sides, and it seemed for a second like she was going to faint, but instead her partner, the boy with the spiky-white hair, supported her with his shoulder.

"Yes," Death sighed in agreement, "it was an extremely elaborate trick indeed. Lucky for us though, it has drained him of his power. Just like when Maka defeated the demon sword and Ragnorok shrank down in both size and power, so has the Kishin. But all he has to do is eat more human souls and he will be back the way he was before: invincible." He paused to make sure we understood all he said, and then he continued, "We have brought Grace and Rave to help us strike a killing blow to Asura before he can regain his full form again."

"How come she gets all the glory? I, Black*Star, am much more capable for a task like defeating the Kishin than that scrawny girl!" Black*Star shouted as he strutting around the Death Room like a proud but obnoxious peacock. There was a good thing about his naïve outburst, though. It seemed to bring down the tension in the room until it was almost an undercurrent of emotion.

"You had your chance last time, Black*Star. Also, we aren't going for a head-on battle, more like a quick assassination." Shinigami's eyes narrowed, "even though you are a ninja, you are not very good at _quietly_ taking out the target, before it sees you." With that last statement, Death whirled around so his back was now facing me. "And, as you will soon see, Grace and Rave are perfect for this mission."

"Father, what exactly will this mission entail?" Kid inquired, his honey-hued eyes narrowing.

"Grace and her partner will have to first accept the terms of-"

"Father!" I could see that the boy was terribly angry now, his fists clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned bone-white. "You are intentionally ignoring my question!"

Shinigami let out a long, defeated sigh. "I guess I should stop beating around the bush and come out with it. Grace, my plan for this mission is to find someone who has an idea of what is going on inside Asura's head." He tapped his skull mask for added emphasis, "To do that, we had to find someone who is already like Asura, in hopes that they would give us an insight to what the enemy is thinking; because if we can understand Asura, we can defeat him."

Spirit spoke up now, "sir, are you saying that we fight the Kishin _with_ a Kishin?"

"Absolutely right, Spirit!" Shinigami praised his Death Scythe.

The words didn't quite make sense at that moment; it was just so much to process. _Fight Asura with another Kishin? Then who is going to be…_ I stopped my thoughts there, because I knew what I was going to have to do, what I was going to have to _become_. I made a noise similar to that of a strangled cat, and collapsed to my knees on the black-and-white tile of the Death Room. _Me…a_ _Kishin?_ It scared me to think that I was so similar to Asura, that if I were Kishin, I could understand him.

"But how are you going to make sure that Grace won't turn against us?" Ms. Marie had joined in now. "After she gets powerful enough to destroy a Kishin, she then becomes a danger to us."

"I know how to keep such a thing from happening, or else I wouldn't have mentioned creating a demon god." Shinigami's answer seemed to placate Ms. Marie. I mean, he is a death god after all, he should know what to do, right?

Death turned his attention back to me now, "I know this might be hard for you, but I would like to explain further. Your soul wavelength is almost identical to Asura's, which means your soul can resonate with his and become a Kishin so similar to him, it would be hard to tell your souls apart." Death's tone was soothing, but it only calmed my panic slightly. It still felt like my head was going to implode. _So much…just gotta block it out…listen to the madness…grab onto it…it's the only way for me to get a hold of the situation…. _

I inhaled sharply, and rose to my feet, keeping a carefully blank expression plastered on my face. I clasped my hands together, and stood stock-still. It was quiet in the room, where Spirit and Ms. Marie had exchanged some nervous glances with Shinigami, but inside my head was a battlefield. I had let the madness seep in so I could regain my composure, but in doing so I had partially relinquished my logic and reasoning. If I hadn't shaken off the madness, something horrible might have happened. Fortunately, my soul was just barely strong enough to push the insanity away, back to the dark crevices and corners of my mind where it will lay dormant until I call on it again.

I could sense them watching me, all of them, and it made me strangely angry. I flicked a lock of my jet-black hair out of my eyes and said rather impatiently, "so, you were saying something, Shinigami-sama?"

"Ask Rave if she would mind being shown to us." Death said bluntly.

His request was so straightforward that for a second I hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

_Tell him I said its okay. _

Rave's telepathic thought echoed around in my mind, like a tennis ball thrown with force against a wall, then left to bounce erratically around the room.

I was surprised; usually Rave was so shy she kept to her Weapon form as much as possible. But refusing a request from Death himself? Not her style. Rave was brave when the situation required her to, but otherwise she preferred to be submissive. Kinda weak, I guess, but I can't really tell her that. It would mess up our soul wavelengths, and then _both_ of us would be weak.

I zoned back into the physical world and said, "Rave said it was fine with her." _"Fine" is probably an overstatement, _I thought._ This is really brave of her, though. _

"Go ahead then." Shinigami said rather brightly.

I took a deep breathe, and reached inside my jacket sleeve. My fingers brushed the cold metal, and I closed my hand around my Weapon. I slide Rave out carefully, not wanting to freak her out or stab myself.

When I had her entirely exposed, simultaneous gasps of disbelief came from the group of Weapons and Miesters. Ms. Marie had grown wide-eyed in shock. Spirit and Shinigami just stood to the side, watching on grimly.

I looked down at my partner, whose Weapon form was that of a gleaming silver vajra with an intricate ivy pattern engraved along the hilt. I didn't understand what was making the other kids so afraid. I was used to my Weapon, nothing seemed unusual about her.

But the boy with the snow colored hair; Soul, I think; muttered the piece of info I was missing, "it looks like Asura's Weapon."

It was deathly still now, nobody daring to move.

_Why do they keep comparing me to him? _It was starting to frustrate me, how many times they kept pointing out our similarities. _And I've never even_ seen _him…_

Death broke the perpetual silence by saying, "Could you demonstrate an attack for us? That is, if your partner is willing to comply."

I closed my eyes briefly and thought, directing the words to my Weapon.

_Rave?_

_Yeah, Grace. I heard him. Go ahead, show 'em what we got._

My eyes flashed open as I swung my Weapon in an arc in the air, then stopping at shoulder-level to aim at one of the crosses that dotted the desert-like landscape in the Death Room. A barely perceptible thought and a blast of cobalt-tinted energy shot from the tip of the vajra. The deformed cross was instantly destroyed, and all that remained in its place was a smoldering crater in the sand.

I lowered my arm slowly, careful not to point my Weapon at anyone, in case Rave blasted someone out of sheer nervousness.

"That was quite impressive." Death said, trying to cover his surprise at how destructive my attack was.

"I coulda done better." Black*Star muttered in a vain attempt to cover his envy.

Amazingly, the blast had relieved any further tension, and even the students were grinning a little.

"Do you want to do this?" Shinigami asked. "Because once you start, there is no turning back. If you do attempt to flee or turn against us, we will be forced to kill you."

I contemplated his offer for a minute, and came to the decision that I would only accept the mission if Rave felt okay about it.

Shinigami agreed, so I shut my eyes momentarily.

_So…this is it. _In truth, I was scared. I was afraid about what could go wrong, and if Rave was hurt…

_I'm fine with whatever decision you make, Grace._

_That's not what I'm asking! _I thought angrily, _I'm asking if you are okay with me being turned into a demon god, possibly dying in the process, and then used to distract the most powerful being to ever walk this Earth! This decision affects your very life and you give a lame answer like that? _

I could sense her become furious and partly hurt by my sudden enragement.

_I don't care! Go get yourself killed or used or whatever, just leave me out of the important decisions if you aren't going to like my answers._

_Hey! I just want to keep you safe, that's all!_ But I could tell she had stopped listening to me.

As I opened my eyes, I felt a slight resentment at snapping at Rave like that, but mostly I felt irritated._ Why should she talk to me like that? She needs to respect me, not yell at me when I try to make things clearer to her._

"Okay then, Shinigami-sama; I accept your task." I was surprised by the amount of conviction and determination in my voice, despite that I was shaking a little from anticipation.

Death grinned a little, making me relax. "Alrighty," he said, clapping his plush hands together, "But before we send you out on your assignment, I think you should rest here at DWMA for a while. After all, you will need to be taught a few extra things before you leave."

Feeling both uncomfortable and excited, I pulled at the seam on my jacket sleeve as I smiled a big, stupid grin.

Somewhere inside me, the madness laughed and laughed.

End of chapter one.


	2. A Painful Past

**Author's note: **

**I don't own Soul EAter, but I do own Rave and Grace.**

**I have also noticed people trying to copy my work.**

**COPY = STEAl.**

**I don't like it, and you know who you are.**

**Thank you. o0o**

**Sorry this chapter is so short. I wanted to shed some light on Grace and Rave's past, so I wrote this. Hope it's good!**

**Also, school will let out soon, which means I'll end up writing new chapters almost every day! ^.^**

Chapter Two- A Painful Past

I stood at the entrance to my closet, perusing the racks of clothes that had been delivered early the other day. An assortment of My Chemical Romance T-shirts, a few dresses and tank tops, a heather-grey hoodie with silver stitching, and a load of skinny jeans in various colors. I smiled a little. Even though these weren't my clothes, they still made me feel at home.

Rummaging around at the back of the closet, I found a banged-up cardboard box labeled "Grace". I knelt down and opened the top flaps, which weren't even taped shut.

_You think they would be more careful when transporting the belongings of a Kishin-to-be._

I peeked inside the box, and was delighted and relieved to find my things in perfect condition, despite the box's appearance. I pulled out numerous black scarves and heaped them next to me as I searched for my most sacred possession. My palm brushed weathered wood, and I immediately snatched the picture frame up in my hands. Until now, I was so excited to see my stuff that I hadn't bothered to turn on the closet light. Flipping the switch, I could now see the picture in all its nostalgic beauty.

_You're looking at the picture, aren't you? _

Rave's voice made me jump slightly. She hadn't said a word to me since our meeting with Shinigami, so I assumed she would be quiet for longer than a day.

_Yeah, it is the picture._

It was taken when I was abandoned at the orphanage with my sister, Violet. We were holding hands and trying to smile as the owners of the orphanage took our picture. Standing in front of the wilted flowerbed, we were both dirty and starved, with tear stains on our chubby toddler faces. And in the background, leaning against the worn façade of the building, was Rave. Wearing tattered clothes and her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, she was looking on with curiosity and pity.

We were just like stray dogs, forgotten and uncared for. Not even the orphanage staff seemed to notice me or my older sister. Stuck in a rotten building with inadequately small meals, cruel kids, and not being noticed when in need, the orphanage soon became a hellhole for me and Violet. We took to stealing food, we were so malnourished. Despite our efforts to stay healthy, Violet got sick and seemed to be getting weaker every passing day. She needed help from a doctor, but we were broke.

That's when I started to see other people's souls, and sense them too. I got the brilliant idea to charge people money if they wanted me to look at their souls and tell them what they looked like. I was the only Meister in the whole section of town, but I was just five years old and thought that it was a magic gift from God.

A lot of the kids looked up at me as a paragon. I was a Meister, after all. But even that was ruined when some of the older kids said that all the useful Weapons and Meisters had already been adopted by Shinigami. They said there was something wrong with me and Rave, and that was why DWMA didn't want us. We were shunned after that, treated like we carried the plague.

_And then Violet died. _

I squeezed my eyes shut in order to keep myself from crying. Violet was one of the only two people I ever cared about, and she was taken from me, even after I was able to pay a doctor and get her medicine.

A single tear slid down my cheek as I remembered what she had said to me the night before she passed away:

_If something ever happens to me, I want you to enroll yourself in the DWMA. Partner with Rave, study hard in all of your classes, and become the best Meister Shinigami has ever seen._

I learned the truth that night. I learned that there _was_ nothing wrong with me, I _was _going to be picked by Shinigami, and my sister _was_ going to die.

_Why do you saw that like you won't be able to see me become the best-est Meister ever?_

Violet just smiled a sad, knowing smile. She knew she was dying, but she didn't fight death. At first I thought it was because there was nothing left in the world to fight for, not even her little sister. But I don't think that's the case, Violet would never stop loving me. I will probably never know why she gave up, why she left me here to deal with all of this on my own.

She was smiling that same sad, knowing smile when I found her body the next morning.

A week later, me and Rave were adopted by Shinigami and sent to the European branch of the DWMA. I grieved for months, but Rave was always there for me when no one else was. That's why I partnered with her, because I vowed to stay by her side after she helped heal my mourning heart.

I was now eight years old, and Rave was almost seven. We were fed well, which encouraged us to make good grades and excel in training. Rave ate her first Kishin egg soul at the age of nine. We were star pupils, even though we both didn't like the attention it brought us. We tried to live like we did back at the orphanage, isolated from society, because we were afraid of anything different than what we were used to.

_You can't dwell in the past forever. You have to let Violet go, we have a mission and past regrets can't interfere._

Even though I hated to say it, Rave was right. Crying wasn't going to bring my sister back, but maybe…

Maybe, I could fulfill her dream by defeating the Kishin. If I killed Asura, I would become the most infamous Meister in the history of DWMA.

And Violet would be looking down from Heaven with pride shining in her eyes.

With renewed confidence, I slipped the picture back into the now-empty box. Closing the lid, I decided I wouldn't need that picture anymore, because Violet didn't reside on a piece of paper; she would live on forever in my heart.

End of chapter two.


	3. Soul Swallower

**Author's note:**

**Disclaimer stuff, I don't own Soul Eater, blah blah.**

**Gah! I didn't know it would turn out this long! But for those of you that have been waiting patiently for me to introduce Asura, here you go:**

Chapter Three- Soul Swallower

I crouched behind the malformed cross, trying to catch my breath. Sweat dripped off my brow and spattered the dusty ground as tried to seek out the shinigami's soul.

_Where did he go...?_

Suddenly, I became aware of a presence just behind me. All of my senses were heightened; I could see and hear things that were usually unperceivable to a normal human.

I leaped up and swung my Weapon at Shinigami, who parried with his Death Scythe and then lunged for a counterattack aimed at my waist.

I turned just in time to avoid being gutted, but ended up tripping over a rock on the ground. The tip of the scythe sliced a shallow cut on my forearm, but I had long since learned not to let pain interfere in the heat of battle.

"Be aware of your surroundings, not just your opponent, Grace." Shinigami instructed quite calmly, despite the flurry of lethal stabs aimed at his head.

This was my fifth day of one-on-one training with Shinigami himself. To the dismay and envy of the students and staff of DWMA, I was enrolled in special classes that involved sparring with Death.

Personally, I'd rather have regular classes where I didn't have to worry about my own teacher trying to kill me.

But I could tell Shinigami was going easy on me; he hadn't even used Soul Resonance yet.

_Then I'll just have to force him to-_

_Grace! Dive left!_

I ducked down and avoided the incoming blade with little room for error.

I gritted my teeth. _If Rave wasn't paying attention, my head would be lying in the dirt right now._ _What kind of lesson _is _this?_

Fatigue was starting to set in, and Death could see that. He was much more experienced than I was, and knew when an opponent was spent.

_Rave, you hear me? We gotta go all-out on this next attack,_ I thought as I rolled out of the way of Death's scythe.

"You ready to give up, Grace?" Shinigami mocked me as he twirled Spirit around in his hands.

"I'd rather die!" I spat.

"Good, because Asura will _always_ kill without mercy."

_It always comes back to Asura, doesn't it?_

_Rave! Concentrate on helping me block his attacks!_

_But I am! _

I sighed_, get ready, I'm going to call Soul Resonance._

_Okay, I'm ready._

_**Soul Resonance!**_

Time slowed to a crawl as I shot forward, the Death Room rushing by in surprising clarity despite my blinding speed. Shinigami's movements were now sluggish and predictable, and as he swung his scythe at me, I leapt onto the flat side of the blade. Using his own Weapon as a springboard, I soared over Death's head, bringing Rave down with startling force against his skull mask. I landed deftly in a crouch, balancing on my toes in case I had to attack again.

But I could sense a change in the atmosphere of the Room. I was no longer feeling the "kill vibe" that was radiating from Shinigami just a moment ago. As the world was starting to speed up and return to normal, all I could pick up from him was exhaustion and pride.

"I think that is enough sparring for one day." Death muttered wearily.

As he turned to face me, I got a good look at the damage I had done when I used Rave to hit him in the face.

The whole left side of his mask was missing.

_Holy…I did that?_

"Oh, I-I 'm so sorry Shinigami-sama…" I looked between the piece of the mask lying in the sand, and the remaining portion on Death's face.

"No need to apologize," He scooped up the broken piece in his hand, "I was not expecting that; it was quite impressive."

With that said, he lifted the left side of the mask and matched it up against the right side. There was a tiny clicking sound, and the two halves joined together, leaving a faint seam that ran from the very top of the skull to the tip of the middle point.

"Luckily, it was a clean break and my mask can easily knit itself back together, given time." He paused for an instant, than said quietly, "I think it is time for you to begin your transformation into a Kishin."

My eyes grew wide in astonishment, and I could feel that Rave was shocked also.

"But I've only been in training for five days…" My voice trailed off and left the Room in confused silence.

"You didn't even use your vajra blast, and you were able to defeat me." Shinigami pointed out. "Also, we have no time to waste. The demon god is probably already building up his strength, and the chances of Asura hiding behind an illusion again are slim to none."

"Okay then," I decided that it was about time I did something besides spar with Shinigami. "What is the first step to becoming a Kishin?"

"Well, there is one _teensy_ little thing that has to be done before you ingest a human soul." He looked slightly uncomfortable as he held up a finger.

"And what would that be?" I didn't know there was a catch, or else I wouldn't have agreed to help him.

_I can feel his wavelength through you, and it seems like whatever he is planning, it is for your own benefit. _

Despite Rave's assurance, I didn't like what was going on. It just seemed a little suspicious, is all.

"If you think you are ready, follow me." Death turned away from me, his dark cloak billowing around him.

He hopped in that odd, Shinigami-fashion over to the full length mirror that stood in the center of the Room. He traced some exotic symbols onto the surface of the mirror with his finger, then stepped back as the mirror warped and twisted, then finally took the shape of a gleaming silver door. When the mirror finished its strange transformation, Death twisted the door knob and ushered me inside.

What I saw inside that hidden room astounded me. Illuminated in the faint glow of a single light bulb, stood shelf after shelf of small glass vial, each a slightly different color or consistency, with tiny labels taped onto them. Yellowed pieces of paper with peculiar diagrams and drawings scrawled on them cluttered a worn out desk in the far corner of the room. Strange artifacts and disturbing weapons hung from the walls, and when I reached out to finger a shield that looked like it was made out of a porcupine, Shinigami smacked my hand away from it.

"Don't touch anything in here unless I permit you to." Death chided.

I quietly agreed, then asked, "How does this place have anything to do with turning me into a Kishin?"

"This actually has nothing to do with the process that will alter you, but it will have to do with what comes _after_." The reaper was examining a bottle filled with a liquid the exact color of Black*Star's hair, but it mustn't have been what he was looking for because he made a dismissive sound and set the vial back down on the shelf.

"I don't get it." What did a bunch of potions have to do with becoming a demon god? I thought all you had to do was eat enough human souls to be able to match your soul wavelength with that of a Kishin.

"You will, as soon as you swallow this." Shinigami held out a slender vial of an opaque liquid.

"What is it?" I said, eyeing the potion suspiciously.

"Well..." I could already see that Death was going to delay the point again, "Do you know who Eibon is?"

"He was one of the greatest wizards in all of history, and was one of your old friends." I sighed, sounding like I was reciting an excerpt from a textbook.

"Yes, and this is one of his greatest creations, second only to the Brew. " He held the glass bottle under the lamp, and the previously dark liquid lit up like it was the essence of aurora borealis. I forgot to breathe; I was so struck by the beauty of the slowly whirling colors.

"This potion is called the Moral Stabilizer. It allows one to become Kishin, but still retain enough of their morals and ethnics to avoid being consumed totally by the madness." Shinigami rolled the vial around in his palm as he muttered this.

"So what are we waiting for?" I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, and I could see that my eagerness was rubbing off on Shinigami.

He carefully uncorked the bottle, and handed it to me so delicately that I was afraid to breathe on it in case it fell apart in my hands.

Tilting my head back, I poured the contents of the vial down my throat. It felt silky and cold on my tongue, but besides the pleasant texture, it was very bland and left only a faint aftertaste of vanilla.

I waited for something to happen, something to change. But everything seemed normal, but I guess that was because I wasn't Kishin.

"Nothing's happening," I said, feeling like a Captain Obvious all of a sudden.

"Nothing happens until you swallow a human soul. That is when the potion reacts," Death explained.

"Where are the souls?" I inquired, looking around the room as if they were just sitting out on the shelves like the potions were.

"In here." I turned around to see Shinigami reach into the void-like pit in his palm and pull out a pale blue orb-like object with a small tail fanning the air.

_A human soul…_

"Were did you get that thing from, anyway?" _I'm not sure if I want to know the answer, though…_

"They are usually taken from the bodies of any humans that are killed, or sometimes confiscated from student." Shinigami swung the soul by its tail, turning it into a softly glowing pendulum.

He handed the soul to me, and I licked my lips in anticipation. I had never eaten a soul, but I had watched Rave eat plenty of Kishin eggs, so I had an idea of how this should go.

Opening my jaw so wide I was afraid it was going to unhinge itself, I shoved the entire thing into my mouth and chewed slowly. It tasted amazing, as if all the joys of life had congealed into the form of something edible. The texture was much like that of the Moral Stabilizer potion, pleasant and velvet-like.

But the aftertaste was condensed hate, fear, and madness. It burned my lips and made my eyes water as it ate at my brain. I cried out in pain as the insanity grew to an unbearable crescendo. Doubling over and clutching my stomach, and I screeched and giggled and cried while a whirlwind of madness tore at the foundations of my mind.

Then it stopped abruptly, and all that was left was the unfamiliar sensation of dark power. It made me uneasy, but at least the agony was over.

"Don't worry, that was a common reaction for someone who has never eaten a soul before. It could have been worse; some people have died after ingesting an innocent soul like that one." Death's voice surprised me; I had totally forgotten that he was in the room.

Propping myself up on Shinigami's shoulder, he helped me shuffle over to the rolling office chair behind the shabby desk. I sat down, and immediately felt the dizziness go away.

But I wasn't going to let one measly soul discourage me from completing my mission.

"Give me another soul," I said to the reaper, determination glistening in my eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do the entire transformation today?" Death asked, his tone filled with worry.

I smirked, saying, "You were the one who wanted to do this in the first place."

Seeing that he was clearly beaten, Shinigami handed me another soul.

**(Asura's point of view)**

I sat in the darkness of the cave, rocking back and forth as I gnawed on my fingers. I liked the dark; it was so quiet and reassuring. Normal people are afraid of the dark, so they stay away from here, from my cave. People bring noise, and I hated noise. There was enough noise in my head; I didn't need more of it.

I stopped rocking. Something was different, something had changed. I was picking up a powerful soul wavelength, not only this; it was also growing stronger and more corrupted by the second. I frowned at the thought of another Kishin like me. How would I deal with that? But Shinigami must also feel it too, so why is the thing not being stopped?

I was unsure, and my uncertainty brought fear. Fear was bad; you can't live if your thoughts are clouded with fear.

Then it all clicked into place. _Shinigami wouldn't stop a Kishin if he was sure it was under his control and powerful enough to defeat me._

"Well, _Death_," I spat his name with all the contempt in my being, "let's see what happens to this new minion of yours. I doubt it will stay on its leash for very long."

I made a vow, a promise. I could not break it, even if doing so would spare my life. That is why Shinigami and his servants must die.

My time would come, but until then, I would rock back in forth to the beating of my insane heart.

End of chapter three.

**-Tries not to pass out- That took a lot longer to write than I thought it would…**

**If you like my fan fiction, and want to see more of ****Aweshie****, I mean, Asura, **_**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE **_**write a review! It only takes a few seconds, but it makes me happy to see people who like my work! Would you do it if Asura asked you to? :3 **


	4. A Practice Mission Gone Wrong?

**Author's note: **

**-blinks sleepily- Daaang, this chapter took f-o-r-e-v-e-r for me to write. For some reason, I have the hardest time writing chapter fours. That is usually when I decide whether to continue what I'm writing, or to hand it over to someone else for them to deal with. **

**Since the details about the process of a human becoming a Kishin are very sketchy (at least, from all the sources that I checked), I decided to write how I thought the process would work. I also explained how I thought Soul Perception worked, so if I left out anything that is crucial for any of these processes, please tell me and I will fix them.**

**And for those of you that have been waiting for more Asura, I hope you are satisfied. ^.^ Enjoy! **

Chapter Four- Kishin Resonance, An Extra Eye, And A Practice Mission  
Gone Wrong?

I clutched the edge of the desk in a death grip, trying to still my shaking body. In my other hand I clasped a human soul, the very last one that I would have to devour before I would be powerful enough to sync my soul wavelength with Asura's.

"Maybe we should wait-"

I cut the reaper off mid-sentence with a growl. "You were the one who wanted to get this over with as soon as possible! You said I was ready!" My eyes flashed hotly, "Are you doubting me, Lord Death?"

"No, I am just saying that your power is developing so swiftly that your partner can barely keep up. Just look for yourself." He gestured at my arms, which were starting to become enveloped in tendrils of some sort of black ivy. I tried to shake it off, but it only encroached further up my shoulder. Panicking, I flailed and slapped at the sinister vines, but it had no effect on them at all.

Shinigami grabbed my wrists and pinned my arms against the table.

"Calm down, Grace. Your partner's shadow is nothing to be afraid of." His voice placated me for the moment, and I breathed deep and evenly until my heart calmed its wild thumping.

"S-shadow?" I didn't know Rave's shadow looked like that.

"Yes, your Weapon is transforming, just as you are. She will likely develop additional powers, like being able to control her shadow, which seems to be what Rave is trying to do." Death released my arms, and I was able to see that the writhing stems were retreating back into my sleeves.

"It seemed like you activated her shadow when you were angry, but lost control when you felt fear." Shinigami contemplated this for a moment.

"I'll learn how to control the shadow after I become Kishin." I snatched the soul up in my hands and consumed it like it was my last meal.

_And for all I know, this could be the last thing I ever taste…_

_Don't think like that!_

_Do you have to eavesdrop on everything I think?_

_I don't need to eavesdrop on you to hear what you think! I end up hearing it even if I don't want to!_

I was just about to snap at her when Shinigami said, "Try to seek out Asura's soul."

My anger fizzled out, replaced by a grim resolve. I closed my eyes, and reached out with my soul. My Soul Perception worked almost like echolocation: I sent out wavelengths, and if they bumped into a soul, the rebounded wavelength would come back to me and I would decode it. By deciphering the ripples of soul energy that are sent back, I can identify the soul's owner.

I waited, and all I picked up was a few pre-Kishins scattered about in the vast horde of human souls.

Then I detected…something. It was so faint that I almost passed it up, thinking the ping-back was just another pre-Kishin. But there was something familiar, and at the same time alien, about this particular soul.

It seemed to resemble my own soul.

I was so startled by the stark similarity that I almost lost my concentration. Shinigami noticed this, and said, "You have found him, yes?"

"I think so…but…" Something else was nibbling at my conscience, but I wasn't sure if Death would answer my question truthfully.

"Shinigami-sama, couldn't you have sought out Asura on your own? You also have Soul Perception, so why did you need me to find him?"

For a nanosecond, Death looked as terrifying as his name suggested. But the menace disappeared as soon as it had come, and instead Shinigami looked merely surprised.

"I can't use Soul Perception to find him because his madness distorts my shinigami soul's wavelengths. But someone like you can sense him because your soul is now just as insane as his, so your wavelengths are immune to the madness." His voice had a hint of darkness to it, but I dismissed it to be part of my imagination.

_I don't _feel _insane…And what was with that sudden change in emotion? Something isn't right…_

_Come on, listen to yourself Grace! You sound like a paranoid freak! You sound like _Asura_!_

_And how would you know that, great and all-powerful Rave? _

_Just keep the negative thoughts to a minimum. They affect me too, remember?_

_Okay…_

"I'm going to try to sync my soul with the Kishins'," I announced mostly to myself. I didn't want to wait and see what Death's comment was going to be.

I found Asura's soul much quicker this time. Deciding that this would go much like a Soul Resonance, I then envisioned two souls, mine and his, slowly melting together and forming one. I could feel my wavelength grow, enveloping all the other soul energies except for the Kishins'.

I felt an immense, corrupted power surge into me from Asura's soul, like a spiritual dam that had been blocking the flow of energy from his soul had been broken. It swamped my senses, and I saw nothing except writhing darkness, could hear nothing over a screeching whirlwind of insanity, and felt nothing but the pulsating of my soul, perfectly in tune with the Kishin's.

Off in the distance, I could hear shrieks and giggles and desperate sobs. The sound of glass shattering and something trying to restrain me, trying to hold back the lunacy racing through me. But I shrugged whatever it was off, and still stuck in my lunatic world, I saw a spark amidst the shadows that were engulfing my logic and reasoning. A miniscule flicker of red light that awakened something in me, something that made me long to follow that crimson glow, not caring where it lead me.

_Trust me; _it seemed to whisper, _because I am just like you._

And with that, the pale light faded and I was swallowed into unconsciousness, in which I dreamt of a figure wrapped in white cloth strips and having three eyes that were the same color as congealed blood.

**Asura's Point of View**

I lay on the slick stone floor, panting heavily, the darkness around me flashing and swirling in nauseating ways. Tattooed hands clawing feebly at the ground, I wondered what the hell just happened.

_That was that other Kishin…she must have synced her soul with mine and siphoned off of my power. But her soul…it was so much like mine. Timid, scared, tempered, hurt…but also determined and protective. Even though she argued quite often with her partner, she would still die to save her Weapon. _

I wasn't protective, though. I didn't have anyone to protect. Ties of friendship and relationship; they were liabilities, as if you were just asking to be betrayed or left.

If you have friends, you also have enemies. I figured that if I side with no one, don't take a stand, then I will not have enemies. Too bad that didn't work.

As my heart rate returned to normal, I realized that I should be afraid right now. There was now a creature out there that was just as strong as I was, and if it was being controlled by Shinigami, it posed a great threat to my existence.

But something about the wavelength intrigued me. I contained that thing that Maka had been pattering about during the illusion. _What was it called again?_ I couldn't remember, but that didn't matter. Whatever it was, though, I wanted to study it and see if I could use it to my own advantage.

I had also picked up another perplexing emotion, one that I had not felt in quite a while, whose name I had also forgotten. But whatever it was, the girl Kishin had been directing it at something named Violet before she went unconscious. I wanted to learn what that was also, so I could prevail in the imminent battle with Shinigami and his Kishin.

A chilling breeze caused my scarves to rustle against the stony ground, and I suppressed the urge to shiver. _I should consider hiding somewhere other than a desolate mountaintop._

I rose to my feet and a faint loneliness crept up on me, but I shoved that away too. I would always be alone, never able to trust another, because there was no longer anyone who could understand me.

**Grace's Point of View**

I stirred in my hospital bed, my limbs tangling in the white linen sheets. I was in a state somewhere between dream and reality, where abstract thoughts and vivid images dominated real-world happenings. Some were heart-wrenchingly beautiful and several were so terrifying to make one wonder how the mind could come up with such visions. I was a Kishin after all, so that might have made my mind much more twisted than that of a human.

_Wake up already._

I groaned angrily and squashed the pillow against my face. Why was Rave trying to wake me up? It was a Saturday; we don't go to the Academy on Saturdays. So if it wasn't a school day that Rave was waking me up for, it must mean that something awful was going on.

Bolting upright, I came face-to-face with three very alarmed Raves. _Wait…something is wrong with my vision… _

A pounding headache erupted in my skull and the white walls of the infirmary spun like a milk-colored whirlpool. I grabbed the metal railing of my bed to hold myself steady as the trio of blonde girls merged into one.

_Don't worry; Death said that having three eyes is something that you will get used to over time, kinda like adjusting to a new pair of glasses._

_But I've never had gla- did you just say _three eyes?

Without thinking, my hand flew up to touch the skin on my forehead and I ended up jabbing something tender and moist with my finger nail.

"Gahh! Damn it!" I cupped my hands over my third eye as it stung and made my other two eyes tear up.

_That was actually pretty funny._

When I recovered from my embarrassing self-injury, I gazed up at Rave. She was wearing her customary smirk, but I could see it took all of her willpower not to cry. Relief and affection burned in her eyes, and she embraced me in a loose hug. I was frozen for a confusing moment, not sure how to deal with such an open act of friendship. Deciding that I kind of liked being held, I hugged her back. Rave's petite frame shuddered as she sobbed silently into the collar of my shirt.

"We thought you had been swallowed up by the madness," My Weapon's voice was high-pitched and warped, and I could barely make out what she was whispering into my shirt.

"Death thought your life had been sucked out of you by Asura and that you would not live." To my surprise, I found myself involuntarily stroking Rave's flaxen hair. Her breathing quieted as she regained her composure and she unfolded her arms from around my shoulders.

She continued, "But I said 'Grace _will_ pull through, because she could never leave me'." Rave wiped her stormy blue eyes and stared into my eyes with a desperate conviction.

"That was why you lived, yes? Why you didn't give up like your sister did?"

I just blinked lamely, saying, "I had no idea I was in any danger of dying. I thought I had just passed out."

"Well," My Weapon sighed contentedly, "that's just as good."

A comfortable blanket of silence settled over the hospital room, like the peace before a storm. And just like the hush before a tempest, it was always followed by a downpour.

"If you feel like you are ready, we can go home. After all, Shinigami said that you will have a practice mission on Monday, kinda like a test flight, to see if you are ready to face Asura." Rave stated, unleashing the storm.

Once again, I was struck speechless by Shinigami's decisions. He always pushed me to my limit, demanded that I work harder, train harder. And it was also baffling how I was able to meet those impossible-seeming standards time and time again. Even when I had only trained for five days, I was still able to become Kishin without dying. It was amazing, really. So I figured that taking on a mission right after my recovery would be no different from any of the other crazy things I have done so far.

"Are you kiddin' me?" I enthused, "I'm ready right now!"

**_Sunday night, 6:39 'o clock_**

"Did you pack the emergency first-aid kit?" I called over to Rave, who was in charge of packing our food and medicine. I was bundling up our clothes.

"I packed three of them, just in case we run into something we shouldn't." Rave's voice echoed from somewhere in the kitchen.

I frowned, "And why would that happen?"

"Your Kishin soul wavelength might attract some...unwanted attention." She sounded uncomfortable as she said this.

I was about to reply when a loud thumping came from the door to our apartment. I strode over to the door and glanced out of the peep-hole, seeing the distorted faces of Maka, Soul, and some pink-haired kid I had noticed before but didn't actually know. None-the-less, I unlocked the deadbolt and swung the door open.

There was a shocked stillness as, one by one, my guests counted how many eyes I now had.

The timid pink-haired Meister was cowering behind Maka, his light grey eyes casting nervous glances around our living room.

"Maka, I don't think I can deal with a girl with three eyes. I've never seen three-eyed girls before..." The boy's rose-hued hair quivered in fear as he tried to duck behind Soul, but since Soul was so much shorter than he was, the beanpole Meister was still clearly visible.

_Neurotic much? _I winced soon after I thought that. It's not like I wasn't anti-social.

"Uh, hi guys. What are you all doing here?" I inquired, a tense smile pasted on my face.

Maka's head bobbed cheerfully as she said, "We heard you were going on your first mission as an official Kishin, so we brought you and Rave some congratulatory presents."

Two palm-sized black boxes were almost shoved into my hands by Soul, and Maka beckoned us to open them.

I lifted the lid off of one of the velvet-lined boxes, and lifted up the delicate necklace that was nestled inside. Holding it up by its shimmering chain, I inspected the marble-shaped glass pendant that swung in the fading light.

It was a pale blue color and had a squiggly tail poking out of its side. It took me a moment to realize that it was a miniature human soul.

"Do you like it?" Maka asked tentatively, leaning forward a little as she waited for my answer.

"Of course! I think it's a beautiful necklace."I slipped the chain over my head and let the cold pendant rest against my breastbone.

"It's actually not a piece of jewelry," Maka corrected, "it's called a Soul Conceal Charm. It works almost like a witch's Soul Protect spell, by blocking off your true soul wavelengths and instead radiating a wavelength like that of a normal human's. It will keep you guys from being attacked by either DWMA forces or pre-Kishins while you are on your mission."

_It sure is tiny to be so potent..._

Rave took her necklace, which was identical to mine, out of its box and clipped it around her ivory neck.

"It looks so pretty on you, Rave." Maka admired, unaware that her attention was making my Weapon uneasy. "Don't you think so too, Crona?"

The edgy boy mumbled, "I-I don't know how to compliment girls..." He looked sheepishly down at his black boots.

"I don't blame you," A blackish blob was forming on Crona's back, making me jump back in alarm. No one else seemed surprised at the thing, though, they just looked irritated.

The dark what-ever-it-was contorted into the upper torso of some chibi-like demon with eyes like boiled eggs and a puffy X shape where its nose should be.

"It's kinda hard to compliment a cow like that," the creature jeered, its round fists gesturing to a clearly outraged Rave.

"I don't even know what that thing is, but I'm going to kill it anyway." Rave snarled, her hands clenched into tight fists as she approached the _thing_ that had come out of Crona.

"Please, Ragnarok, apologize before she starts poking at us." Crona whimpered as Rave held her fist up to the Demon Sword.

"Fine," Ragnarok pouted resentfully. "I'm sooo sorry for calling you a cow. Now get your hand outta my face."

"I don't take orders from midget-demons." Rave sneered as she slammed her hand, open-palmed, into Ragnarok's face. The Demon Sword and Crona went flying backwards and smashed into the wall, leaving a cavity from the force of their impact.

"How un-cool." Soul sighed as he helped the battered Meister to his feet.

"I think we should leave now, before anyone else gets their brains bashed out of them." Maka suggested as she shot a venomous glare at Ragnarok, whose face was now concave and oozing black blood.

"I guess I'll see you guys when we come back from our assignment," I said rather meekly as I Soul wished me and Rave good luck on our mission.

When they had left, I had Rave double-check our packs to see that we had everything we could possibly need. Checking the time, I noted that it was nine 'o clock. Glancing over at Rave, I could tell she was exhausted but trying hard to hide it.

"Hey Rave, you should probably take a nap and conserve you energy. We leave at midnight, though, so don't over sleep."

When I heard Rave's breathe even out and I was positive she was asleep, I stepped out onto the balcony and gazed up at the moon. It looked down on me with its mocking smile, as if it knew my situation and thought it was funny.

I sighed, my arms resting on the metal railing. Settling my chin on my hands, I watched the way the moonlight swathed the urban landscape in silver. It was so breathtaking that I let my mind wander in blissful distraction. That is, until my watch beeped, signaling that it was almost midnight. So I turned my thoughts back to the task at hand.

_I wonder where Asura is right now..._

Because my soul was perfectly in tune with Asura's, I could pinpoint his exact location at any given time. I hadn't told that to Shinigami, though, because I wanted to be the one to face off against the Kishin.

I decided to check his location now, since he seemed to be moving almost every day.

I focused in on his wavelength and located him in a millisecond. _So, you're hiding out in Texas, aren't you? You were in Russia last time I checked..._

But what worried me the most is that he seemed to be making a beeline towards DWMA. I hadn't detected a change in his power, so he surely wasn't going to try to overthrow Shibushen by force. The only other explanation was that he is hunting me down in an effort to stop the only other power that could defeat him.

That realization stirred something like apprehension in the pit of my gut. But it wasn't out of fear of dying, or even the safety of my Weapon. My brow furrowed as I tried to think of why else I would be afraid.

_Maybe...I don't want to kill him..._

_Why not?_

The voice that had interrupted me was definitely not Rave. I sounded masculine, and had a truly questioning feel to it that I had never heard from Rave. Rave preferred to figure out stuff for herself or use sarcasm. _So who could be in my...?_ A cold sweat tricked down my spine. _No way...But it is possible...Our wavelengths are synced..._

_I ask again: why do you not wish to kill me?_

_Shut up! You aren't really talking to me! Just...Just go away! _

Confusion, I could feel that he was puzzled by my command.

_I will see you tonight, so you better decide what to do by then._

I was about to respond, but I had the feeling he had cut off the connection between our minds. _Why does this always seem to happen?_ I sort of wanted to see if I could re-connect our souls, but I didn't want to make him angry.

Fresh adrenaline pumped through me, causing me to pace in a circle around the living room. Even though I was confused, I was now sure of one thing:

I couldn't kill Asura.

When our souls synced, I had sensed a deep grief like the one I felt for Violet. If he had gone through something similar to my own past...perhaps sympathy and understanding would work better than trying to destroy him.

After all, didn't Shinigami pick me because I was the only person who could make sense of Asura, so that I could gain his trust?

My legs were starting to get sore, so I collapsed onto the red microfiber couch. My watch beeped again, and I lifted my wrist to check the time.

Twelve 'o clock.

And just before Rave woke up, I had made my final decision.

**Later that night-**

_So far, so good, _I thought as I parried David's knife with my own Weapon. The pre-Kishin staggered towards me, his wicked blade raised high. I smashed Rave against the Son of Sam's beefy hand, and the knife was knocked out of his grip. It clattered against the cold asphalt, as if the weapon had realized its wielder was finished, and the metallic sound was in mourning.

"David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam, your soul is mine!" I cried as I skewered the bulky demon-human with my vajra. David's body warped, and then unraveled, revealing a scaly Kishin egg soul. Rave snatched it out of the air and ate it greedily. I made a face, since human souls tasted so much better than Kishin eggs.

_They're still pretty yummy._

_You're just saying that because you have never tried a human soul._

_I'm not allowed to try one; you are the only exception to Shinigami's law of no eating human souls._

_Oh, forgot about that._

_Grace? Do you sense that too? _

_Sense wha-_

I was shocked that I hadn't sensed it before. I was picking up an insane wavelength, one much like my own...

_I told you I would come. So have you made up your mind?_

_Grace! Who the hell is that?_

_It's Asura. Just ignore him and let me do the talking._

_Don't tell me he's talked to you before..._

_Turn around and face your fate, Kishin Grace._

The madness was all around me, making my own insanity come bubbling up to the surface of my mind. It was all I could do not to start laughing hysterically and throw myself at Asura.

I didn't turn around, but instead, I gently set Rave down on the pavement. I stood back up while saying quite calmly, "I have made my choice," I paused when I heard light footsteps that were only feet away from me.

However, I continued, "Asura, I do not plan on hurting you."

End of chapter four.

**Author's note: **

**New record for me! I have never written a chapter this long!**

**But for those of you who are wondering how Asura could hear Grace's thoughts: when souls are perfectly synced, it can also mean that the minds are perfectly synced. Take Maka and Soul for example.**

**Also, according to episode 42, Kishins can sleep.**

**Hoped you liked it, and please review! **

**Now I'm going to sleep for a couple of days. o0o **


	5. Capture! Or Partnership?

**Author's Note:**

**I'm just churning these things out lately. But I think it's time I took a break from the seriousness of this fanfic and get started on some of my more humorous ones. Depends if I get more reviews to make me want to continue this one or not.**

**Sorry guys! I forgot to pu the little "_'s point of view" things. I fixed it now, though.**

**Putting that aside: Enjoy and don't forget to review! o0o **

Chapter Five-

**Grace's point of view**

"And why is that?" Asura's voice came from just behind my left ear, causing me to just about jump out of my skin.

Being so close to such a powerful source of madness was causing my rational thinking to waver, and sheer willpower was the only thing keeping me from losing it.

_Maka said the necklace would disguise my true soul wavelengths...but I guess another Kishin could easily see through a guise like that._

I mustered enough resolve to retort, "You know, I might just kill you aft-"

I was cut off by a sinister chuckle that chilled my blood.

"How juvenile!" Asura mused as he strode in front of me. "Don't you know that you and I are not the only Kishins in existence?"

_There are more? Impossible, I'll believe it when I see it!_

_Rave! Don't say that, he might awaken them or something!_

_Gold star for Kishin Grace!_

_Get out of my head, you freak!_

But Asura only grinned in a disturbingly playful way and thought slowly, _I'll always be in your head, always here to mess with what you call "rational thinking"._

Until then, I had avoided looking directly at him. I now raised my head and stared directly into his blood-hued orbs, putting all of my built-up rage into a single glare.

I thought clearly, injecting each word with malice.

_Get. Out. Of. My. Head._

The God of Insanity's eyes widened for a moment, and a tiny flicker of fear was visible, but it was engulfed by madness as quickly as it had come. There was a tense silence where I thought he was going to attack me, but that passed when Asura's head settled down in the nest of scarves around his neck. I broke the eye contact, and stared meekly at the cracked concrete at my feet.

_Hey Grace, doesn't he seem a little younger than Shinigami described him as?_

_The illusion drained his power, so it might have also made him younger...I don't really know, he looks like a sixteen-year-old..._

"Then I will now explain, _without_ invading your mind." His voice was slightly muffled from the strips of white cloth, and I had to strain my ears to hear his soft voice.

"I was not the only Kishin that was sealed under Death City. There are actually five of them, including myself. If they are awoken, Death City with fall, and all of you friends will perish in seconds."

_He's trying to force you to do something._

_Yeah, I have already figured that out._

"Didn't Shinigami tell you that I never speak of something that I don't know for a fact?" Asura breathed into his mass of scarves.

When I didn't respond, one of his scarves lashed out and tilted my chin up so that I was staring at his eyes again, suddenly huge in my vision.

_When did he get so close? I didn't even hear him move._

"You plan on defeating me, yet you can't even levitate? Sort of pathetic in my eyes." The thin Kishin turned away from me and his scarf coiled back around his neck, resembling an anaconda strangling its helpless prey. The only difference being that the scarf was much more dangerous than a snake, and its prey even more threatening than the predator.

"But let's return to the original subject," Asura sighed, his hand fingering with the edge of his red-and-black striped blazer. "Being the most ancient of all Kishins means that I have some control of the demons that are created after me, so I can awaken them at will. Meaning I have some power over _you_."

I decided that I'd had enough of people delaying the point, "What is it that you want, Kishin Asura?" I said, seething quietly.

"I want you to teach me." Asura explained, gesturing to me with one of his skin bandages.

I was so taken aback that I didn't know how to respond. I just stammered, "Teach you _what_, exactly?"

"I want you to teach my how to use that thing that Maka had tried to utilize to defeat me in her vision. And also I would like to learn about that perplexing emotion that you felt for that thing named Violet."

_Grace, is he talking about courage?_

_He just called Violet a thing!_

_Let it go, Asura can't help that he doesn't know who Violet is. Just concentrate on trying to gain his trust, which means you have to stop being so hot-headed._

_But I promised Violet that I would kill him..._

_Things change._

_Are we done with this little conversation, or will I have to mess with your thoughts again?_

_Damn it! Grace, now he's in my head!_

I sighed inwardly. _It's like this is all comic relief to Asura, like none of us are of any real importance to him._

And there was one other thing that I found puzzling. _What did he mean when he said "that perplexing emotion"? Could he really mean...surely not...nah, that is highly unlikely._

I dismissed the awful thought just as Rave returned to her human form in a flash of silver light. She stalked up to me and grabbed my arm.

"Come on, Grace, let's go." She motioned for use to leave, and started to drag me down the street.

"Leave, and I unleash the Kishins on Shibusen." Asura threatened, his voice so icy that it almost physically froze me to the ground.

_Please don't listen to him, Grace!_

_I have no other choice, plus this is exactly what I wanted. He seems to trust me enough not to attack, but he could be waiting until we let our guard down._

_Alright, just don't get hurt._

Eyeing Asura suspiciously, Rave released my arm and stepped far enough away to reassure the bipolar Kishin that she wasn't going to attack.

"Good," Asura nodded, approving of the space between him and the potentially-dangerous blonde.

"Now, Kishin Grace, come with me." His scarves shot out, and before I could react, they wound around me. I yelped and struggled, thinking I was about to be constricted by the bandages. But instead, they only made a loose but secure cocoon around my body. The comprehension of Asura's action didn't relax me, and the situation was making the madness, which I had been able to keep at bay for so long, starte to prevail against my willpower.

"Hey, three-eyes! You better take me with you or I swear I will call up Shinigami right now!" My Weapon stormed at the now-retreating Asura.

I giggled, then sang out, "Snatch her up too, Asura, we can't leave without such a delicious soul."

"No, she is a liability. I cannot have such a dangerous item coming along with us." Gosh, Asura sounded like he was scolding a child.

I made a puppy-dog face and pouted, "Aw, you're ruining all the fun, Aweshie."

My vision clouded with red, and the last thing I saw was a horrified Rave, then I was blindfolded by a dozen or so scarves and carried away from the quiet streets.

**Asura's point of view**

I was glad I got rid of that pesky Weapon, but I was sure she'd try to follow us. Coasting through the foggy early-morning sky in a red sphere of my soul wavelengths, I was very careful to keep the girl Kishin wrapped up tight enough not to escape but also not cutting off her air or blood circulation.

_I'm glad those two were so gullible, or else I probably would not have this one under my control._

I smiled contentedly to myself, because I knew that if there were actually any other Kishins besides me and Grace, they would be long dead by now.

_Where am I going to take her where Shinigami won't find us?_

I dismissed that question for now, and instead let the fading stars be my guides.

**Rave's point of view**

I stumbled into the Death Room, my legs screaming in agony from my lengthy sprint. Tears left hot, sticky tracks down my face. I tried to wipe them off just as Sid and Shinigami turned to see me skidding to a halt in front of them.

"It's Grace! G-Grace has been taken by-" My desperate, rapid-fire voice was cut off by a large gloved hand that was placed haltingly on my mouth.

"Please, Rave, we can't help if we don't understand what you are saying." Death soothed as he removed his hand from my jaw.

I blinked rapidly and swallowed, causing my raw throat to throb. "Shinigami-sama, we were on our mission when _he_ showed up and took Grace away. _He_ said that Grace was going to teach _him_ something, and if Grace didn't co-operate with _him_, a bunch of Kishins would be awakened." I had to pause every couple of seconds to wipe away tears of rage, but I think I was able to get my point across.

Sid turned to Shinigami, "Sir, should we dispatch a search-and-rescue team?"

Lord Death nodded, "Yes, and make sure that Stein and Spirit are sent with the main force, because things are about to get ugly."

I let my shoulders sag in relief and exhaustion. I then whispered, "Thank you, Sid-_sensei_, Shinigami-sama." I turned and hurried out of the Death Room and to my apartment.

**3rd person**

It was silent in the Death Room as Shinigami waited until Rave was out of earshot.

"I was figuring something like this was happening when I saw the analysis sent from the Madness Readers," Death uttered when he was sure that Rave had left.

"Sir, do you want me to actually send out search parties?" Sid inquired, confused as to what he was to do.

"Of course not. Now I need you to monitor the signals that come in from the Madness Readers and see if Kishin Grace is still being held captive by Kishin Asura. And gather up all the best Weapon and Meister pairs and ready them for battle, because we leave in eight day's time." Shinigami instructed, motioning for the zombie to hurry up and get to work.

Sid was about to rush off to his tasks when he realized another issue. "What am I to tell Rave if she asks about Kishin Grace?"

Shinigami considered the problem for a minute before suggesting, "Say that the search parties have found no traces of Kishin Grace's whereabouts, but five days from now I want you to say that they called off the search because it was too risky and that Grace knew what she was getting into, so it isn't worth losing more to look for someone who could be dead."

Sid thought that was a little harsh, but he wasn't about to say such a thing to his superior. Instead he bowed and dashed off.

The Reaper was left alone in the Death room, left to think about the horrible things he was about to do.

End of chapter five.

**Author's note:**

**Jeez, this was frustrating to write, considering my sister was watching Bleach and Soul Eater parodies with the volume turned up as loud as it could go. I'm surprised I haven't gone as crazy as Asura. **

**I also think that Shinigami has a more sinister side that they don't show in the anime.**

**For the sake of my annoyance-seizure, please review!**

**Thank you. o0o **


	6. Pictures on the Wall

**Author's Note:**

**I think I was listening to some pretty depressing music when I wrote this, but I hope you guys like it anyway.**

**I felt like Asura was getting out of character, so I made him have a madness-attack. **

**ATTENTION: I'm going on a trip to South Padre this Saturday, so I'm trying to get as many chapters published as possible, since the Internet at the place I am staying is questionable. Yay, I get to be tortured by my relatives while on the beach. A thirteen-year-olds dream. -.-**

Chapter Six- Pictures on the Wall

**Rave's point of view:**

I had shuffled into the apartment and collapsed onto the floor, not even bothering to lock the deadbolts. If something came in to kill me, I would welcome it with open arms and a huge smile.

_Tomorrow. Tomorrow, Grace, I will come for you. _

My skinny fingers dug into the tan carpet, and I soon fell asleep to the rhythmic beats of my broken heart.

**Grace's point of view:**

A bitterly cold draft pulled me out of my dreamscape. I briefly wondered why it would be so chilly in the infirmary, but then my third eyes opened sleepily to reveal a wall of dark, basalt-like rock. Spears of sunlight peeking in from the mouth of the cave striped the stony ground, so I sat up and positioned myself in one of the sunbeams, hoping to warm up a little.

With a sinking feeling, I remembered the devastating events from the previous night. Pounding wavelengths reverberating throughout the stony chamber, making my head swim with senseless thoughts, but they were quickly silenced. I was starting to adjust to Asura's madness wavelengths, so it was getting easier and easier to push the insanity away.

_If the madness is so strong, that must mean..._

I turned around very slowly in order not to frighten the Demon God, who rested against the wall furthest from me. His arms lay limply by his sides, along with his scarves, which were coiled like sleeping snakes. But I was not fooled into thinking he was sound asleep, since I was able to glimpse a flash of red in his supposedly-closed eyes.

_How long has he been watching me?_ I was suddenly creeped out, feeling as if I now had three holes bored through my body.

"I see you have awoken, Kishin Grace." Asura murmured when he saw me observing him.

"Were did you bring me?" I said, distrust in each articulation.

The emaciated Kishin stood soundlessly, and then answered, "Borgarvirki."

I blinked, not sure whether to laugh at such a weird word, or be concerned about what the location will bode for me.

Asura strode over to the opening of the cavern and added softy, "We are on a mountain called Borgarvirki. It's a volcano basalt plug in Iceland that was turned into a fort by humans long ago. The underground tunnels lead to one of the temples built by Pre-Kishins to honor me."

Grabbing a handhold on the wall, I heaved myself into a standing position. I was still weak from being engulfed in the madness, and I would likely need at least twenty-four hours to recover. So I used the jagged tunnel wall as a sort of crutch as I hobbled over to where the other Kishin stood.

The land which I gazed at was a large expanse of snow-covered tundra, with the occasional rocky outcropping popping up here and there. It was breathtaking, and when I snuck a swift glance over at Asura, I saw that he must be enjoying the landscape too, because a tranquil smile played on the edges of his lips.

The relaxed air was broken when the God of Madness announced, "You will follow me to the living chambers." He then turned his back on the Icelandic scenery and started down the tunnel.

With a multitude of questions dancing in my head, I followed Asura deeper and deeper into the Temple of Insanity.

**Rave's point of view:**

I could only block out the terrible images of what my imagination was churning out as I shoved food, medicine, and clothes into a small duffel bag. Gnawing on my lip, I tried to remember if I had forgotten anything.

_I bet he's torturing her, trying to get as much information about the state of DWMA's army as he can. Or maybe he's hurting her just for the pure, sadistic joy of it._

These kinds of thoughts only urged me to grab only what I needed as rapidly as I could and shove them in my pack.

I buckled on the belt of knives that was normally a last resort for Grace if I was ever injured to the point where I became useless. It had never been used until now, and I thanked God for that at least.

Slinging my bag onto my shoulder, I flung the door open and slammed it behind me as fast as I could, not even bothering to lock it.

_There's nothing of any importance in there anyway,_ I thought as my feet pounded the sidewalk.

"Don't worry, Grace," I panted as dashed down the street. "If that demon freak is anything like you, I know exactly where he would go."

_I hope you can hear me, because I'm not going to let you down._

On the kitchen table, in an unlocked apartment room, sat a silver necklace with a tiny, blue orb attached to it.

**Grace's point of view**

At the very depths of the subterranean temple was a living quarters similar to the inside of a five-story mansion, carved almost entirely out of the same dark stone that made up the rest of the mountain. It was adorned with towering ceilings, spiraling staircases, and intricate engravings of various Kishins killing, teasing, quarreling with, and occasionally assisting humans or Pre-Kishins.

I examined each scene, thinking, _this is what Kishin socialization looks like? I thought they just outright killed each other, not develop sophisticated demon-hierarchies._

Even though the architecture was stunning, it looked as if this place had not been visited in dozens, maybe hundreds, of years.

I had been on Asura's heels the entire time, since it seemed like he wasn't trying to harm me, and so when he suddenly stopped I almost collided into his back.

"This is the story that my master never told you." The insane Kishin began. I stepped around him to peruse a painting that was divided into _ sections. The first section appeared to be a baby boy swaddled in a white blanket with who I assumed to be his mother and father standing over him, smiling at the black-haired child.

"It is the story of how I lost my courage." Asura continued, a hint of remorse and fury tainting his otherwise calm voice.

"Asura," It felt strange using his name in a non-contemptuous way. "Is that you?"

The great Kishin just closed his crimson eyes and tucked his chin against his chest. He was quiet for so long that I was afraid I had lost the chance to hear him recall his past.

The stagnating air was broken by his growl, "They were all I had, all I knew, the only ones who could understand me." His voice grew to a crescendo, and at last Asura threw his head back and screeched, "Until Shinigami killed them _ALL!_" The crazed god slammed his fist into the section of the wall next to the paintings. The result was a huge slab of the rock crashing to the floor, leaving Asura's fist in a serrated crater. The madness wavelength spiked dramatically, almost to the point where I could not resist it.

Withdrawing his hand, Asura faced me, a detached facade now masking whatever emotions had taken control of him.

He now reaffirmed, "You are here to give me the courage to take my revenge." His wavelengths then solidified into a red sphere, and once more he shot off into the dark, this time without me.

And suddenly I felt alone.

So I began to examine the remaining paintings, trying to piece something together because I was determined to clarify Asura's past for myself.

The second image was of little Asura with a distorted, menacing-looking Shinigami looking down at him. I didn't get at first, and then I saw that Lord Death was holding out a slip of paper.

I squinted at the paper until it clicked: _That's a contract of some kind._

I looked back at the young demon god, who seemed to be frowning and was half-turning away from the god of Death.

_So Shinigami-sama tried to recruit Asura? So why didn't he...his parents! He was happy and didn't want to leave them, so he didn't except the offer!_

I was excited now that I had solved part of the puzzle. But then a realization stopped me short, and I scowled. _Shinigami said Asura was found on the streets, alone, about to perish. Could he have lied? Or is Asura lying? Someone isn't being truthful on purpose...but Asura's distress seemed so real...then again it could be an illusion. _

I ran my hand along the rim of the cavity left in the wall from the God of Insanity's hand. _No, if it was an illusion, this would not be here._

I shuffled to the third picture, which showed the parent's bloodied bodies crumpled at the feet of several shinigami that were wearing masks resembling demons and monsters.

Inspecting the disturbing illustration from all angles, I was hoping to find something that would give me a clue as to what this picture was depicting. But I soon got frustrated and moved on to the next painting.

Asura, still a kid but looking as if he'd grown some, stood hunched-over and was facing a double-sided Lord Death. With tears in his three eyes, the grubby demon-to-be was signing the same contract that was in the second panel. But that wasn't what I had my eyes fixed upon now, it was the two-faced Shinigami. The side facing Asura looked sad and sympathetic, but the opposite side was twisted and seemed to be grinning wickedly.

The words that Asura had screamed came echoing through my mind: _"Until Shinigami killed them ALL!"_

I was petrified from horror. Slowly, my head dipped to my chest and I closed my fist around the soul pendant that hung from my throat. I stood much like Asura had stood in this same spot, and a tiny sob escaped me.

_Shinigami, why did you do it...?_

**Back at DWMA:**

"Move it, students! Let's get this stuff loaded up, ASAP!" Sid bellowed as hundreds of well-equipped and full-packed Shibusen students, teachers, and adult Meister-Weapon partners filed into dozens of military Hum-Vs.

Students that weren't coming on to the battle were busy piling supplies into the backs of the cars. The air was tense and thick as everyone scrambled to make their preparations before the convoy left.

"Shinigami-sama, you look like something is worrying you," Stein pointed out to the Death God, smoke from his cigarette encircling the mad scientist's head like a drab halo. "Care to share what it is?"

Lord Death only grunted, "Nothing is troubling my mind. Now don't you have a Special Forces team to lead?"

Stein only took his cigarette from his lips and remarked, "My wing is all set, it's your Death Scythes that need to be rounded up." With that said, Stein trotted off to his vehicle.

Shinigami was one of the last few standing around, and so he pondered how he would get rid of the Kishins as he directed kids to their assigned automobile.

**Grace's point of view:**

_If it's true...which it might not...then Shinigami lied to Asura. Shinigami _made _Asura the way he is. And how many others did he kill, just to force their kin to join him? How many others could he have lied to? _

_But why am I sympathizing with a Demon God? Is it because it might not be his fault? He's just trying to right the wrong, but he hurt so many people...ruined so many lives. But according to these paintings, Shinigami is the root of this evil._

I made up my mind then and there: I would find out the truth, and stop whoever started this madness, even if it cost me my life.

There were a few more panels of the story, but I was still weak and couldn't deal with so much stress. I wandered around the halls, hoping to run into Asura. But I couldn't sense his presence anywhere, not even when I used Soul Perception. I just figured that it was because I was so far underground that my soul wavelengths were distorted.

So I gave up searching for the God of Madness, and instead collapsed onto the nearest satin couch, not caring that it was covered in dust bunnies. I let the exhaustion of the day enfold me in its false security of sleep.

End of chapter six.

**Author's Note:**

**I think that was a little emo of me, but I hope everyone liked it!**

**Please review, for the sake of my sanity when I go on this "vacation".**

**o0o**


	7. A lesson on love?

**Author's note: **

**Disclaimer, I don't own Asura (sobs), Soul Eater, or anything else except Grace, Rave, and my own crapola. My stuff is not to be used by anyone else without my explicit permission. Ever. Or I will eat you because you taste good grilled with A1 Steak sauce. **

**We left a lot earlier than I expected, so now I'm in a hotel in Victoria Texas, and I'm wrapping this thing up at exactly 1:30 in the morning. Yup, I'm serious about this fan fiction stuff, even though this is my first attempt at a fan fic.**

**Yeah, yeah, I know, Asura is acting calm for most of the chapter. Totally not like him. But don't be sad, because we will get to see some CRAZY in the next chapter, which, if everything goes as planned, will be the LAST chapter. Then I will continue on to my Asura and Arachne fic. **

**Now I will stop click click clicking these keys and get this thing started! Enjoy. o0o **

Chapter Seven- A lesson on love?

**Asura's point of view:**

Crouching atop the concrete ledge of the boarded-up and abandoned grocery story, I watched the drunken man stumble along the shady alleyway.

_Why did I show the girl the paintings? _My past had always been that: just my past. I was careful to tell no one of my story, but the other Pre-Kishins found out, and created those paintings to celebrate the birth of their kind. They didn't understand, and that was why they were all killed when Shinigami came. I survived because Death felt so much guilt that he couldn't kill me, and instead just shoved me away. Almost like when a little kid is told to clean their room and they just shove the mess into the closet. It is forgotten for the moment, but when the door is opened, the mess spills back out again.

Just then, the intoxicated male human tripped and landed flat on his face with a sickening thud. Seeing the golden opportunity, I leaped off of my perch and floated down next to the man. A sick and excited feeling bubbled up in my gut. I always had this feeling right before the kill, and I'm not sure if I ever enjoyed whatever it was.

My scarves unfurl from around my neck and entangled the arms and legs of my current victim. I lifted the filthy man up so that his face was level with mine, but his eyes were shut and he was deeply unconscious. With a sadistic laugh, I twisted and pulled on the man's limbs until they were almost torn from the socket. With a groan, the human woke up, his bloodshot eyes staring waveringly into my three eyes.

"Hey," He garbled in a way that wasn't exclamatory at all. "Lemme go, dude."

"Not until I am certain that you are dead," I breathed threateningly.

The poor man sobered for a moment, his glassy eyes clearing as he was horrified to realize that this was not a vision brought on by the alcohol.

"B-but I have a family...and kids...so plea-GACK!" One of the sallow scarves was enclosed around the pleading man's throat, throttling him. _How dare he bring up his family!_

"Stupid human! You are worth nothing, so why should you get to have a family! I have nothing, so your family will now pay by having nothing too!" Roaring this furiously at the strangulated man, I lifted him higher so that his chest was level with my head. I plunged my hand into his ribcage, and with a final wheeze, my prey decomposed into a pile of soot.

While downing the human's soul, I spotted a metal cylinder in the pile of human-dust. I snatched it up, and upon reading the label, found that it was one of those liquids that humans can and sell to each other.

_I bet that girl Kishin would like this, since she acts so much like a human. _I slipped the can into the pocket of my dark trousers, and once again shot off in a solidified sphere of my madness wavelengths, leaving the half-deserted town far behind me as I returned to the cavernous temple. Back to the Kishin Grace, to learn of courage and all those other strange things.

But when I saw her sleeping form on the plush couch, insensible thoughts of murder slinked around my mind, promising satisfaction from killing the Kishin in her sleep.

_Eat her soul, and become powerful enough to overthrow Shibusen. After all, you have never tried a Kishin's soul before. It must be deeeeeliiiciiioooouuuusss..._

Little demons of madness danced and sang about slaughter and blood and death, but for the first time ever, I shoved them back to the hellholes in my brain. I could feel them sulking, but I didn't care because I knew this girl in front of me was the key to my survival. It had already been proved to me that power alone was not enough: I was going to need to gain back what I had loss back when I was but a child.

**Grace's point of view:**

I was jerked out of my slumber by the clink of a soda can being set on the dusty side table by my head. Sitting up, I looked down at my clothes, which were starting to look dirty and tattered. My hair felt kind of greasy, too.

_Why am I feeling so self-conscious? I'm in a freaking cave with the world's craziest creature. _

That last thought reminded me that I wasn't alone. Asura stood behind the couch, his scarf still wrapped around the soda.

"I found this when I went to go find something to eat. I figured that, since you act like a human, you like the same things humans like." He was looking at me curiously, like a little kid watching an adult teach them something.

_Well, there isn't much of a difference, since that is- _

My world came to a grinding halt when I read the label on the can: Diet Coke.

I picked the can up and cradled it like it was a precious baby. I felt a wistful smile take its place on my lips as I popped the tab and listened to the carbonated hiss.

"I don't understand what is so interesting about this human drink." Asura tilted his head at a quizzical angle, causing his dark hair to fall over his face.

I hesitated, unsure of whether I wanted to share part of my past._ Well...he did let me see those paintings, so I guess I owe him._

"My sister loved Diet Coke, but we were just orphans, so it was a rare delicacy for us. That's why I drink it whenever I can, because it reminds me of Violet, and how I loved her." I confided this quietly, glancing up when I was finished.

Asura looked confused and then carefully asked, "Why did you..._love_...her?" He seemed to roll the word "love" around on his tongue, like an exotically-flavored food that needed to be savored slowly.

I answered swiftly, since this was a query that I had thought over many times myself. "Because she loved me too."

His next question took me entirely off-guard: "What does it mean when you say someone "loves" something?

I had to think for quite a while, but when I found my answer, I replied without doubt. "That they care about that something enough that they are willing to give their life to make sure it is kept safe. That's my own definition, at least, because everyone has a different way of perceiving love."

The first-generation Demon God just nodded slowly, his eyes wide in sudden understanding.

But then he scowled, and I asked what it was that he didn't get.

Asura paused for a moment, then he took on an incredibly serious expression as he inquired, "Then...what does "Diet Coke" taste like?"

For some reason, I found this hilarious, and for the first time in what felt like ages, I laughed. I was soon joined in by the God of Insanity, who had no idea what he was laughing at, but didn't really care.

**Now for all those doofuses we all know and love:**

"They said that Rave ran away." Maka sniffled, causing Soul to wrap his arms around her small body as he tried to console her.

"She's a smart girl; I think she's oka-" The snowy-haired boy was cut off by a despairing sob.

"No, Soul, she obviously isn't okay if she ran off all by herself to rescue Kishin Grace! Your words do nothing to help her!" Maka shrugged off Soul's arms and was now standing and yelling down at Soul.

"Well, yelling isn't going to solve any problems. We are five days away from the spot that the Madness Readers indicate is the location that Asura and Grace are at," Death the Kid began. "Now we need to decide on how we will fix this issue that we helped create."

The interior of car number 8 was silent but for the muffled sound of tires scattering pebbles down the road.

It was a sad sort of quiet, almost in mourning, until Maka whispered, "Why did we listen to Shinigami-sama?"

**Asura's point of view:**

I sat down on the side of the sofa opposite of Grace, and listened to her stories of her older sister Violet. She told me of how kind Violet was and how she never hurt a single person or creature in her fleeting time spent in this world. How Violet would comfort Grace when the younger sister was hurt or scared. The days of playing and laughing that they had wished had lasted forever.

Unable to pull my focus from this unusual Kishin, I was fascinated by her stories of kinship. _How could she trust her sibling? Was it because of this thing called "love"? _At the moment, I felt that this "love" was as important as courage.

So Kishin Grace explained that you must have _both_ courage and love, because you have to have the love of your friends and family to give you courage, but you have to have courage to be able to love.

"They depend on each other, so you can't have courage without love or vice versa." Grace clarified as I sat with my knees to my chest and arms wrapped around my knees, enthralled by the sound of her voice.

As I comprehended her philosophy more and more, I realized something: I didn't have courage because I couldn't trust, and I couldn't trust because I had lost the ability to forgive, and that was because I no longer knew how to love.

"So you are saying I need a friend?" I queried.

Grace blinked, and then responded slowly, "Yeah...I guess you do."

"Then would you be my friend?"

As soon as I had said this, Grace looked shocked and I was afraid that I had done something wrong. Then a smile grew on her beautiful face as she said, "Of course."

**The following morning- Grace's point of view:**

I woke up on the same couch that I did the previous morning, but I noticed that Asura was nowhere in sight, but even stranger was the thick blanket that was on top of me.

_It is pretty cold in here, I'm glad I got a blanket from...wait, I don't remember getting a blanket, so where...?_

_You looked cold, so I found this._

"Gahh!" I nearly jumped through the ceiling, but instead just ended up rolling off of the sofa in a tangle of flailing limbs and cushy fabric.

"I am sorry, I forgot that I wasn't supposed to talk to you that way." Asura was now leaning over me, his eager face filling my vision. "But now that you are awake, can we begin our lesson?" He said the last part like a child hinting at a reward after doing something good. Too bad scaring the living crap out of me didn't fall under anything remotely "good".

"Only if you have any clean clothes for me," I grouched at the demon god. "These are filthy."

"I happened to bring your bag when I...er, kidnapped you." He seemed to regret that last part.

"No big deal," I made a dismissive gesture with my hand. "Friends forgive each other, after all."

Asura grinned shyly, "I believe they do."

I felt much better after I had changed into a fresh pair of creamsicle-hued skinny jeans and had slipped on a white V-neck shirt with a roaring tiger printed on it. It also seemed like Asura did not understand "privacy", so I had to shoo him away when he had innocently tried to follow me into a separate chamber when I went to change.

_Maybe he isn't so innocent...I honestly can't tell what he is thinking sometimes. I guess Shinigami was wrong about us being exactly the same._

Just having the name "Shinigami" float through my mind made me shiver a little, even with the blanket enfolding my entire body. I grimaced as I thought of all the truth-uncovering that I had yet to do.

"Can we start the lesson now?" Asura was seated in the same spot on the slightly-less-dusty couch as he was during the last lesson. He looked a little more comfortable, since he was resting his head on the back of the sofa and his flesh bandages laid limply and trailed off of the sides of the furniture.

"Okay, what topic?" I settled into the covers, becoming a warm little baby bird that was preparing to teach a bipolar eagle the meaning of life. Sort of.

The God of Madness suggested, "How about why you wear such strange clothes, and not try to hide yourself from the things that frighten you?"

And so that was how the next few days went, until the morning where it all spiraled down the drain.

End of chapter seven.

**Author's note:**

**I like author's notes, they make me sound important. ^.^**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like how it's turning out, and I think I'll eat something or pass out now. Please review, and stuff. I'm going to have incredibly dark circles under my eyes so I'm not even caring about using synonyms.**

**Goodnight, world. o0o **


	8. Blood Red Blossoms

**Author's note:**

**Well, here it is! This is the last chapter in the first part of my series. I hope you guys like it, because I feel like crap after staying up this late night after night, getting these chapters finished to meet my personal deadlines. **

**Now please enjoy my humble writing-stuffs.**

Chapter eight- Blood-Red Blossoms

**With the DWMA battle convoy:**

"Thanks to the Soul Separator that was confiscated from one of Arachne's laboratories, I was able to come on this little field trip," Shinigami's soprano voice rebounded throughout the heavily-armored vehicle as he addressed the three-star Meisters and Death Scythes who sat in a loose semi-circle around the death god. "Because this is one mission that must be lead by me, to insure nothing goes wrong."

But what the insincere reaper really meant was that Asura and Grace must be destroyed before everyone knew what he had done, how much blood coated his hands. The best way for that to happen was if he conducted the main Shibusen force, consisting of the strongest of the strongest and the best of the best.

_I should have taken care of Rave when I had the chance, and disguised it as suicide. Luckily, she is still at home, where she has been for the last few days, probably mourning. Good thing she isn't as clairvoyant as she is powerful, or else this battle would be fifty-fifty. And with Grace being tortured or starved by Asura, they will both be easy targets. This should be no harder than slaughtering a couple of crippled dogs. _

"Lord Death!" Called Sid from the driver's seat, "We are now just five miles from our target, so we will continue on foot from here on."

Shinigami then grunted, "Just don't forget the Madness Readers."

**Grace's point of view:**

Asura wasn't the only one learning new things: in-between my teachings, Asura taught me how to condense my soul wavelengths into a sphere that acted as a shield and also allowed me to suspend myself in midair. I had yet to actually control the cobalt bubble in a way that would let me fly, like what the God of Madness was capable of.

"Like this?" I shut my eyes, imagining my soul stretching like dough and enclosing my entire body inside, then that ball of compressed wavelength supporting my weight and lifting me into the sky. I didn't panic when I felt my bare feet gradually lift from the rough stone.

"Yes, it is perfect...but you are about to run into the ceiling." Asura said the last part urgently.

My concentration slipped for a split second and instead of bashing my head, I was now plummeting towards the floor from at least sixty feet up.

"Oh God, don't let me die!" By the time I had whimpered the last word, I was caught in a hammock of white fabric-like strips. I stopped cringing as the cushion was lowered, and I shakily stepped off and onto the solid, reassuring floor.

"Please be more careful, I will not always be here to save you from your human-like stupidity." Asura urged, panic evident in every one of his little movements.

"So now I'm stupid? Some trainer _you _are." I pushed his shoulder playfully, but when his face turned downcast, I recalled too late that he didn't really know how to joke.

_I need to bear in mind that he never really understood basic socialization and interaction, so his body language and way of perceiving what I say is much different than that of a normal human._

_Is that it? Is that what is wrong with me? Please, please tell me what is wrong with what I do._

Asura stood like a person who had admitted that they had murdered someone-_ Crap! Defiantly not a good simile!_

"It isn't your fault," I reassured hastily. "It was Shinigami, not you. I'm teaching you, so you can straighten this out, right?"

With his thin shoulders sagging, the God of Insanity stood with his scarlet eyes fixed dejectedly upon a slab of basalt in front of his toes.

_There is so much wrong with me, with everything I see. _

I was quiet, letting him continue,_ No one can save me from myself any more, not even you; nothing can conquer the seething madness._

I had to interrupt him. _I can help give you courage and love to face reality, you don't have to be alone, Asura. _

_I don't want to face reality, I want to be __alone__. _

The insanity in the subterranean temple had amplified with Asura's last thought, and made a tinge of red coat my vision.

_Stop, please, you can't live your life alone. Just because no one else was able to hear your silent cries doesn't mean that I can't either. _

My thoughts were pleading, begging shouts now as I grabbed Asura by both of his shoulders and forced him to look into my silver eyes.

_I know you are afraid because I was once afraid too, of people and places and everything. I know what it is like to cry with no one to comfort you, but it doesn't have to be like that anymore. _

The crimson madness was lessening now, and stark realization engulfed the insanity that was trying to surface in Asura.

_I don't have to hide? I don't need to be scared?_

_No._

With a deep sigh, I enfolded Asura's lean body in my arms. He stiffened for a second, not sure how to deal with such a heartfelt action, but then he relaxed in my embrace. Tentatively, he lifted his hands and placed them gently on my back while I tucked my head against his pale chest.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

Asura's heartbeat resounded through my ears, like a soft but sad tempo.

**Asura's point of view:**

When Grace enveloped me with her arms and held me close, it made something in my twisted mind click. Something that I had not felt in so long, that miraculous, simple thing that my soul had been yearning for. Attention, affection, comfort in physical contact.

Love.

A song that captivated, healed, gave strength and courage. It was a tiny but sweet melody, that was love, and that was what it did to my soul.

**The DWMA battle force:**

"Wing four reporting to base." Sid, the leader of the scouting group, barked into his two-way radio. "We have spotted the primary and secondary targets."

"And?" Shinigami implored.

Sid tried not to laugh as he stated, "They seem to be playing in the snow, sir."

**Grace's point of view:**

"Grace, look! I found this strange vegetation." Asura said from somewhere off to my right, behind a steep snow bank.

"Where?" I smiled as I hurriedly packed together some handfuls of snow to form a snowball.

"Right-ACK!" I flung the snowball at the demon god as he peered over the snow bank. The clump of slushy ice smacked Asura in the center of his forehead, causing him to drop the red blossom he had in his hand.

"I am quite glad that I can't feel pain, because you just hit me in the eye." The slightly irritated demon wiped the icy water and bits of snow off of his strangely-patterned hair.

_Oh, sorry. I'm used to playing with humans that only have two eyes._

_Friends learn to forgive._

A sly, lighthearted smile danced on Asura's lips as one of his pallid scarves scooped up the flower that was dropped when I hurled the snowball at him.

"I was going to show you this little flower." Reaching out to take the blossom, I noted how bright red it was. It stood out starkly against the white bandages and colorless ice, like blood splashed onto pure snow.

Cupping my hand delicately around the crimson poppy, I murmured, "It matches your eyes, Asura. It's the same shade of red."

I was so absorbed by the vivid petals that I failed to see the snowball that was hurtling at my face. With a thud, the ball of softened ice smacked into my cold-flushed cheek and dispersed in a soggy mess. Sputtering, I wiped my face off just in time for another frozen projectile to crash into my stomach.

"Where are your battle reflexes, Grace?" A teasing demon called out from behind a frost-coated boulder.

_Asura is...playing?_

_I'm still learning, but yes, I am attempting to amuse myself in a way that is friendly._

"Well then," I began, crouching down to scoop up some half-frozen water. "I'll show _you_ battle reflexes!"

We chased each other around the snow-blanketed valley, calling out ridiculous war cries as we pelted each other with frozen balls of water.

At one point, I charged at the swift God of Madness, my weapons of mass destruction clutched in each fist. Slipping on the water-laden ground, I tumbled into Asura and we both crashed into a powdery mound of snow.

For one thing, we both couldn't move. But then again, we didn't _want_ to move. Panting, I curled up in the yielding snow, nestling my head against Asura's warm body. The first Kishin stroked my hair, running his fingers through each velvety lock.

My pulse slowed, and my eyes slid closed wearily. I felt myself drifting off into a sweet, light sleep.

_I don't want this to end..._

Something in the atmosphere changed, and Asura tensed up. The edginess in his soul crept into my mind and tugged me back to consciousness.

_We need to get up...something isn't right._

_Okay._

I shook off the lure of slumber, then moved into an alert crouch.

Sensing a horde of human Meister-Weapon souls not too far off, it slowly dawned on me.

"A-Asura..." I breathed in horror.

The demon was already standing, scouring the landscape for any signs of movement. "Yes?"

"They have found me."

**Back to the DWMA forces:**

"Playing in the snow?" Shinigami cried out incredulously, his white gloved hands forming tight fists.

"They are looking around now, sir. I believe they have sensed us." Sid informed, his voice serious again.

_I never would have thought that Grace could actually gain Kishin Asura's trust. This is quite unexpected, and will make the coming conflict increasingly unpredictable. But I need to continue with the battle plan or some might become suspicious._

"All divisions stationed for ambush, begin attacking now!" Shinigami hopped over to Spirit, and a nod was all that was needed to command the Death Scythe to transform.

Heading out into the valley, the God of Death passed a field of poppies, their color so vibrant that it looked like blood had already been spilled on the bright Icelandic snow.

**Grace's point of view:**

Meisters and their Weapons swarmed down into the valley from every direction, an endless surge of kids and adults bristling with armory.

"Asura, make a Soul Sphere-" I looked up to see the foreboding shadows of at least five helicopters and what looked to be that pink-haired boy wielding a black sword and sprouting dragon-like wings.

"No use, they cut off all of the escape routes." The God of Insanity hissed, his scarves unraveling and poised menacingly above his head, resembling cobras rearing up to strike at a foolish creature.

"Hey Grace, Asura." The devil-of-a-reaper chirped his customary greeting while twirling Spirit in from hand to hand.

Despair flowed out of Asura, who seemed to have already accepted his fate. But that only enraged me further, the contempt so intense that I roared my next words as if they were capable of physical harm.

"You! You did this to him! To me!" I snarled and backed up so I could defend Asura, becoming a mother wolf protecting her only young.

"I don't know what you mean. But it doesn't matter, so don't even bother explaining." Shinigami's dark cloak bristled and his voice dropped to a more serious tone as he rumbled, "both of you are going to die."

A few questioning mutters broke out among the DWMA force, but I didn't have enough time to consider why as the God of Death leaped forward with his Death Scythe prepared to slice me in half.

I closed my eyes and stood my ground. But the blow never came and, still cringing a little from preparing to take a mortal blow, I peeked at Shinigami.

And gasped in disbelief.

Asura had slipped in front of me and had taken the blow. The scythe was buried in the demon god's right shoulder and black blood poured out of the severe wound and pooled at my feet.

"What is this?" The traitorous Death God exclaimed as he wrenched his Weapon from Asura's bloody body, "Is the Great Kishin sacrificing himself, hoping to let this newborn Kishin escape? So not _like_ you, Asura!" On the word "like", Shinigami swung his Death Scythe again and I tried to shove Asura out of the way.

He didn't move an inch, and the blade sunk into Asura's other shoulder with a sickening thud. A scream-sob tore out of my throat as black blood spewed onto the sparkling snow. The God of Insanity wavered for a moment, and then collapsed to his knees.

"Please, don't do this! I wasn't in any danger, Shinigami!" Sobbing, I crouched over Asura's fallen form.

_Why did you do it, Asura?_

_You told me that love was when you cared for something enough that you would be willing to give your life to save it._

"S-so I love you." The demon god panted, his crimson eyes gazing into my silver ones.

"This is so touching, but I'm afraid I'll have to cut it short- literally." With both hands holding Spirit, the reaper lifted his Weapon over his wicked skull mask.

I sank down on top of Asura, my hair curtaining his blood-spattered face as I awaited my death.

**Rave's point of view:**

Everything was so out-of-whack.

I peered over the boulder at the two figures in the snow, one Asura, who had given his live to protect my best friend, and was now bleeding out into the sparkling snow.

_If Grace tried so hard to protect him, he must be a decent person._

Bounding over the rock, I charged straight for Shinigami, who had his Weapon readied for the death-blow. With a howl of a rabid wolf, I threw myself at the God of Death, who paused and faced me just as I collided with him and tackled him to the frosty ground.

I was able to pin Lord Death in the snow long enough for someone to walk over and politely tap me on the shoulder, saying, "We'll take it from here. Just help get the Kishins out of here."

I looked up to see Death the Kid, the Thompson sisters in each of his hands. Behind him stood Maka, wielding Soul, and that obnoxious blue-haired boy with his Weapon partner leaned against a short pine tree.

I just nodded, and got to my feet.

**Grace's point of view:**

Maka helped me to my feet as the DWMA forces turned chaotic without their leader, even fighting amongst each other.

"Take the necklace off, it's a tracking device called a Madness Reader. It was how we were able to find you. Now hurry, Grace! Leave before our diversion wears off!"

I tore the "gift" from my throat and scooped up Asura, who was surprisingly light.

"Hey!" Rave waved at me, leaped, and then morphed in a flash of silver light. She soared over the heads of confused Meisters and Weapons, and finally landed neatly into my palm.

In my desperation, I envisioned my soul growing to encompass both me and the demon god. A solid sphere of my soul wavelength formed, and I thought urgently, _go._

Shooting into the sky, I darted past the helicopters and into the thick clouds. Now we were a tiny sapphire jewel that was barely visible from the battlefield below, where a furious-beyond-words Shinigami was being taken into custody by his own son.

_How did they know of Lord Death's crimes?_

_I think Maka over-heard Sid and Death Scythe chatting about it at some point._

_I'm glad to have you back, Rave._

_Yeah, yeah, just watch where you steer this hamster-ball._

Pulling Asura's unconscious body against me, I thought, _home_.

The sphere rocketed across the heavens, leaving a trail of silver behind, like a comet shooting along the atmosphere.

The compressed ball of wavelengths floated down some minutes later outside my apartment block.

Asura, who was starting to heal and was now able to stand, was being supported by me and Rave's shoulders.

An exhausted grin crept onto my face as I breathed, "We're home now."

The end, for now.

**Author's note:**

**Now wasn't that nice? I hope it was nice, because I am going to be anything BUT nice when I wake up tomorrow. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review, because they make the dark circles worthwhile. **

**And I know, some of it was very quickly explained, but I'll be happy to clarify anything that doesn't make sense.**

**In my sequel, I will need OCs, but I'll deal post all that crapola later.**

**o0o**


	9. A Notice

**Attention:**

**I have noticed people copying my work, and I don't like it at all. If you think I won't notice just because you didn't review my work, you are wrong. There are only twenty-five or so Asura fics, and I read every one of them. I WILL NOTICE. **

** I may stop writing SOB if I see any more of this, because I'm already having problems writing as it is.**

** Thank you, people who have enjoyed and reviewed my work without copying. Sorry that you had to read this message. I will update soon, if I feel like the right people have read this.**

** Sincerely, Claire.**

**o0o**


End file.
